Food Glorious Food: What to Eat in Puebla, Mexico.

(Last Updated On: November 28, 2022)

It’s no secret that I am a die-hard foodie. Hubby and I both love to talk about, prepare, shop for, learn about but mostly eat incredible food. So, whenever we travel anywhere sampling the local cuisine is a huge part of our trip. Mexico is famous for its gastronomy, and it makes up a large part of its culture. Divided into seven regions the cuisine in Puebla falls under the Central Region consisting of: Mexico, Puebla, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo and Distrito Federal (Federal District / Mexico City.) Feeling hungry? Wondering what to eat in Puebla? Keep reading.

Mole Poblano

Mole Poblano is a dish that everyone should try when visiting Puebla. It is an intoxicating combination of spices, chilies, nuts, unsweetened chocolate, and other ingredients. This thick, fragrant sauce can use upwards of twenty ingredients and take days to prepare although nowadays one can take short cuts and still produce a flavourful mole. It pairs wonderfully with chicken, pork and slathered over enchiladas. In the past, I was not a fan of Mexico’s national dish until I tried it several times while in Puebla. And what I realized is that until then I had never really tasted authentic, lovingly prepared mole.

Mixiote

Traditional mixiote wraps the membrane of the maguey leaf around mutton, lamb, rabbit, chicken, or beef in an aromatic blend of herbs, spices, and chilies. The contents are then either slow roasted in a pit or steamed. Since the eighties, you will mostly find mixiote wrapped in parchment paper or banana leaves in an effort to protect the maguey plant. I ordered a beef mixiote that was simply divine!

Chanclas

Chanclas or sandals in English are so named because they loosely resemble the shape of a sandal although the one, we ate would require a stretch of the imagination to say the least. These sandwiches are often filled with chorizo or ground beef that have been drenched in a guajillo chili-tomato sauce. They are similar to Guadalajara’s famous tortas ahogados but in my opinion although the sauce was quite tasty overall, I much prefer tortas ahogados .Its thicker, crunchier bread is far less soggy although drenched in a similar sauce.

Chileatole Verde

I fell in love with chileatole verde! Because neither my Mexican husband nor I had ever heard of this dish we decided to just order one to share. BIG mistake! This simple mix of ingredients that include maize dough, cilantro, and chilies was utterly delicious! I highly recommend you try it. I will definitely be making this at home soon.

Tacos Árabes

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a large influx of Christian immigrants from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq, most of whom settled in Puebla. Once established they introduced their unique blend of spices and method of cooking using a rotating vertical rotisserie. Eventually, lamb was substituted for pork since pork was far more popular in Mexico and more cost-effective. A fiery chipotle salsa was also created to accompany this new culinary tradition…tacos árabes.

Mole de Caderas

There are certain dishes that are only prepared during specific times of the year and mole de caderas ( goat hip mole) is one of them. Every year the third Thursday in October marks the commencement of a longstanding tradition in Puebla and Oaxaca. The ritual, steeped in history, begins with the sacrifice of a goat referred to as La Matanza after which many restaurants begin to offer this special meal until the end of November. Because hubby and I are such foodies we decided to splurge on this rather pricey dish since we found ourselves in Puebla during this special occasion. Did it live up to the hype? I loved the intense flavour of the thick tomato/chili/aromatic sauce and yes, the meat was incredibly tender, but I doubt I would ever order it again due to its steep price which can range from 450 pesos- 800 pesos per bowl.

What to eat in Puebla

We spent five days in this fantastic city taking in the sights and sampling a lot of the local cuisine. It is impossible to cover in depth in one blog post all the dishes that have given Puebla a reputation for being a foodie city. If you ever get the chance to visit, I recommend trying as many local meals as possible.

FUN FACT:

“A big achievement of Mexican gastronomy is that it was the first one of the now four cuisines to be declared by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The food of our country has an enormous diversity that represents different groups, ethnicities, and regions. Gastronomy and culture make Mexico a magical place.” (source)

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